St. Petersburg closes wastewater treatment plants in the northeast and southwest due to Hurricane Milton

ST. PETERSBURG – The city of St. Petersburg said it has shut down both the northeast and southwest wastewater treatment plants to protect employees and equipment from the “potential storm surge” of Hurricane Milton.

The announcement was made at 5:46 p.m. Wednesday as the storm's direction remained uncertain.

Starting at 7 p.m., residents of these rest areas, which make up about two-thirds of the city, are asked not to flush toilets, shower or throw anything down the drain. Repairs may take up to 48 hours once crews can safely return to the site.

Residents can use this link to see if their homes or businesses are affected.

Mayor Ken Welch warned earlier this week that the city may have to close two of its three sewer systems if expected strong winds of 100 miles per hour and storm surges of 8 to 12 feet become a reality.

The city gave a little more guidance early Wednesday, but no definitive deadline. only that they would be shut down if wind speeds became too dangerous and the storm surge at the two power plants reached 5 to 7 feet.

St. Petersburg construction administrator Claude Tankersley said at a news conference Wednesday that operators of power plants in the northeast and southwest would be unsafe with such a sharp increase.

Tankersley said with much of the area under mandatory eviction and many having left the area, there is capacity in the collection system, but it would be best if residents forego flushing.

“Try not to use it at all,” Tankersley said. “But we know there are emergencies and if necessary, you should be able to do so safely.”

Tankersley said the city's third wastewater treatment plant, the northwest plant, is not at risk of potential failure because it is at higher elevation. Drinking water is not affected.

St. Petersburg spokeswoman Samantha Bequer said the city closed wastewater treatment plants in the northeast and southwest before the storm surge from Hurricane Milton hit.

Earlier Wednesday, Claude Tankersley, the city's public works administrator, said if the city experienced a storm surge of 5 to 7 feet, officials would make the decision to shut down the power plant to protect personnel and equipment. The city announced at 5:46 p.m. that both power plants had been shut down earlier than expected.

Bequer said the city cannot evacuate personnel and get them to safety if strong tropical storm force winds or stronger winds occur. The crews were not rescued in flood vehicles.

“If the city waited until the storm surge actually arrived, it would be too late to safely evacuate personnel,” she wrote.

During Hurricane Helene two weeks ago, the city told residents of the Northeast Wastewater Treatment Plant just hours before the storm hit that there was a 50/50 chance the system could be shut down. In the event of power outages, notifications were sent out at the peak of the storm surge.

Some residents, particularly in North East Park along 44th Avenue Northeast, reported sewage backing up in shower drains and under toilets.

Mayor Welch said Friday that residents should be prepared that depending on the damage, water, sewer and electric services could be out for days and power outages could be possible for weeks. Welch said the city has no plans to preemptively shut off the drinking water supply. If trees fall, water pipes could break as their roots pull on the pipes, disrupting the drinking water supply.

“This is not a storm that we will recover from quickly,” he said. “We have a long road ahead of us, but we will recover and rebuild together.”

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

• • •

5 things forecasters say you should know about the 2024 hurricane season.

Meteorologists are predicting an “extremely active” 2024 hurricane season. Here's why.

Could flood insurance go up in Tampa Bay after a hurricane? A warning about Hurricane Ian

Want to know which areas in Tampa Bay are flooding? Here's where to look.

Checklists for building all types of storm kits.